"R. Cooper" wrote:

> What I am wondering is, could someone explain in non-programming terms
> what the process is for doing the FMV parts of a game. The way the
> animation moves as if the 'camera' is moving across a landscape etc...
> How are drawings of, let's say a character are drawn and animated.

All characters, backgrounds, and buildings exist in our databases as 3D models.
Those models are directed to move in specific patterns by our animation
software. Cameras can be placed anywhere in the virtual environment, and lenses
and other
effects are also controlled by the software. Think of it as a big, virtual
puppet show. It's essentially the same process used in effects films like
Jurassic Park (only without the living actors).

>
> BTW I LOVE the idea of some scenes flowing into FMV to go to the next
> scene. It's BRILLIANT!!!!

These "camera turns" require a lot of planning. The final frame of the movie and
the first screen of the gameplay have to match up exactly (because you're really
moving from a movie back to real-time ... that little visual "pop" you see at
the
end of a camera turn is your eye adjusting to the different resolution of movies
vs. gameplay). The first screen of a camera turn gameplay area is heavily
restricted, because it's not supposed to feature any characters (which is why
they
sometimes "flash" into place after a turn; it's covering up a very jarring pop,
because we can't coordinate the presence of a character in both the game and a
movie and expect them to line up perfectly).

> I drool over the FMV in Oddworld. I can't
> imagine what PS2 will be like with Oddville!

The current movie script features flying labortories, various Oddworld Queen
species, a long and dreamy sequence introducing Munch and showing what happened
to his people, plenty of creepy stuff with the Vykkers torturers, and more ...
they
should be our best movies to date.

>
> I know this question could call for a complex answer, like, "how does a
> car work"

Press the long, thin pedal and turn the wheel.

> but I am happy with a simple answer if that's possible.
> Ray

--P